Device for trueing piece articles of variable section

ABSTRACT

A device has a table for a packet of articles to be laid thereon, a clamp that holds the packet on the table during trueing, and levelling rollers arranged in two parallel rows, with an unclamped packet portion being accommodated in a gap in between the rows. The table and the clamp have stepped through cuts whose steps are arranged opposite to each other so as to form a stepped line of a successive bend of the packet when it passes between the rows of the levelling rollers.

United States Patent Afanasiev et al.

[ Feb. 18, 1975 DEVICE FOR TRUEING PIECE ARTICLES OF VARIABLE SECTION [76] Inventors: Alexandr Dmitrievich Afanasiev,

ulitsa Kubinka, 6, kv. 35; Alexandr Moiseevich Mogilevsky, 1 Mosfilmovsky pereulok, l6, kv. 45, both of Moscow, USSR.

[22] Filed: Apr. 11, 1973 [2]] Appl. No.: 349,962

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr 19, 1972 U.S.S.R l77l4l7 [52] U.S. Cl. 72/214, 72/160 [51] Int. Cl B2ld 3/02, B2ld 3/l0, B2ld 3/16 [58] Field of Search 72/2l4, 160

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 533,714 2/1895 Leighton i. 72/12 2.642.]15 6/1955 Van Hut'lel .4 72/l2 Primary Examiner-Milton S. Mehr Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Holman & Stern [57] ABSTRACT A device has a table for a packet of articles to be laid thereon, a clamp that holds the packet on the table during trueing, and levelling rollers arranged in two parallel rows, with an unclamped packet portion being accommodated in a gap in between the rows. The table and the clamp have stepped through cuts whose steps are arranged opposite to each other so as to form a stepped line of a successive bend of the packet when it passes between the rows of the levelling rollers.

1 Claim, 15 Drawing Figures PATENTED FEB I 81975 SHEET 10F 3 DEVICE FOR TRUEING PIECE ARTICLES OF VARIABLE SECTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to equipment for the pressure shaping of metals and more particularly, it relates to devices for trueing piece articles having variable section.

The present invention can be most effective for the rib trueing of knitting catch needles.

There are devices known presently in the art for the rib trueing of knitting catch needles, which comprise a table for laying thereon a packet of needles to be held, during trueing, by means ofa clamp provided under the table, and levelling rollers mounted on levers and forming two parallel rows, with an unclamped packet portion being arranged in a gap between these rows. In such a device, the table with a packet of needles thereon is moved progressively by means of rods linked with cams mounted on a drive shaft in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the packets travel along the table, while the rollers are mounted on levers rotatable under the action of cams secured in the grooves of a rotating disk mounted on the same drive shaft.

The operation of trueing on the known device is carried out intermittently due to the progressive motion of the table. The number of levelling rollers in the device is limited because it is only possible to provide for a limited number of cams controlling the levers with the levelling rollers in the grooves of the rotatable disk. Since the number of levelling rollers is limited, the number of bends of the needles to either side is also not sufficient.

The operating cycle of the known device includes the feeding of the packet of needles along the table, the intermittent travel of the table and the needles bends to this or that side during every stop of thetable, which does not permit the attainment of a high efficiency.

Further, the limited number of bending rollers and. consequently, of the number of bends, affects the quality of needle trueing. Moreover, in the known device, it is practicable to true a needle only on a portion from the heel (needle lug) to its end, but it is impossible to make the trueing beyond the heel (tail portion of the needle), as the latter portion is under the clamp on the table. This also affects the trueing, as high quality is achieved by trueing throughout the needle length.

Furthermore, the continuous transverse reciprocating motion of the table makes its maintenance inconvenient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages.

An object of the invention is to provide a device for trueing piece articles that will ensure quality trueing throughout the article length.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device ble, plus the levelling of rollers mounted on rotatable levers and forming two parallel rows that accommodate, in a gap between them, an unclamped portion of the articles packet, wherein, according to the invention, there are stepped through cuts on the lateral sides of the table and a clamp to accommodate the above levelling rollers, while the steps ofthe cuts are arranged opposite to each other so as to form a stepped line of a successive bend of the articles packet when it passes between the rows of the levelling rollers. The provision of the stepped cuts helps to increase the number of bends of the articles to either side in their various points, which increases the efficiency and raises the quality of trueing. Additionally, the stepped cuts enable the packet of articles to travel exclusively along the table which remains stationary, which precludes the waste of time for the transverse feed of the packet of articles together with the table and, consequently, increases the efficiency. The proposed device also permits to treat an article throughout its length (in case of shaping a knitting catch needle, it is practicable to true its portion being beyond the heel), which increases the quality of trueing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be more apparent from the description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention, reference being bad to the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a functional diagram of the device for the rib trueing of catch needles;

FIG. 2 shows the position of a packet of needles on the table, the clamp and the levelling rollers during the relates operation;

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the table and the clamp;

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the table and the clamp as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a lateral view a mechanism for moving the needles packet along the table when the trueing operation is over; and

FIGS. 6 to 15 show the mutual positioning of the table, clamp, needles and levelling rollers at various moments of the trueing operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The proposed invention comprises a table 1 (FIG. 1) for a packet 2 of needles to be laid therein, a clamp 3 arranged above the table 1 and holding the needles packet during trueing, levelling rollers 4 and a mechanism 5 for moving the packet 2 along the table 1, once the trueing cycle is over. Made on the lateral sides of the table 1 and the clamp 3 are stepped through cuts 6 and 7 (FIGS. 3 and 4) accommodating the levelling rollers 4. The steps of these cuts are arranged one opposite to another so as to form a stepped line of a successive bend of the needles packet when it passes in between the rows of the levelling rollers. The clamp 3 has a working surface 8 (FIG. 2) whose profile corresponds to the profile of treated needles and which has a longitudinal through groove 9 for the passage of a heel 10 of one of the needles 2.

The table 1 has a cut 11 designed to ensure the trueing of a portion beyond the heel 10. The steps in the table and the clamp are made so as to leave open. during clamping, nearly all of the portion of the needle length, from its heel to the end, first, and then reduce this open portion gradually when the needles packet is moving along the table to the right (see the drawing); after that, only the needle end remains open and, finally, open is only a portion beyond the heel from the other side, as the other portion of the needle is pressed against the table 1 by the clamp 3. The table 1 is arranged on brackets 12 secured on a plate 13.

The clamp 3 is secured on the lever 14 rotatable around an axle 15 by a cam 16 set on a shaft 17. The axle 15 is positioned in a support 18. The shaft 17 is rotated from an electric motor 19 (FIG. 1) via a belt transmission 20, a worm pair 21 and 22 and a chain transmission 23 and 24. v

The levelling rollers 4 are set on levers 25-34 of which levers 25 to 29 are accommodated above the needles packet 2 and secured on a shaft 35. This shaft is mounted in bearings 36 and rotated by means of a lever 37 secured thereon from a cam 38 set on the shaft 17. The levers to 34 are arranged under the packet and secured on a shaft 39 borne by bearings 40. The shaft 39 is rotated by means of a lever 41 secured on it from a cam 42 set on the shaft 17. The bearings 36 and are positioned in the support 18.

The levers 14, 37 and 41 are pressed by springs (not shown in the drawings) to the earns 16, 38 and 42, respectively.

The width of each roller 4 is somewhat smaller than half the width of the step of the table 1 and the clamp 3, while the levers 25 to 34 are arranged so that the rollers of each pair (upper and lower) should not be opposite to each other.

Such an arrangement enables all the upper and lower rollers to work at a time by bending upward and downward the corresponding portions of the needles packet 2 and thus ensuring high efficiency.

The packet 2 is pressed against the clamp 3 by means of a plate 43 with the aid of a load 44 and a thread 45 thrown over rollers 46, 47 and 48.

lnterlinked with the roller 48 is a ratchet 49 of the mechanism 5 that moves the needles packet along the table. This mechanism also includes a dog 50 (FIG. 5) secured on an axle 51 mounted on a lever 52. The lever interacts with earns 53 and 54 mounted on the shaft 17.

The proposed device is operated as follows.

Once a magazine device (not shown) is loaded with the needles packet 2 and is then moved manually to the entire length of a trueing zone (the device is stopped when the clamp 3 and the upper levelling rollers are in their upper position and the lower ones in their lower position), the cam shaft 17 is brought into rotation by starting the electric motor 19 via the transmissions 20 to 24.

Under the action of the cam 16, the lever 14 makes a turn together with the clamp provided therein, the surface 8 of this clamp pressing the needles packet 2 to the table 1. After that the cams 38 and 42 make the bending of isolated portions of the needles packet upward and downward via the levers 25-34 with regard to the butt lines of the table 1 and the clamp 3. The roller 4 mounted on the lever 25 (FIG. 6) bends downwards a portion of the packet being under it close to the butt line of the first steps of the table and the clamp. The roller 4 mounted on the lever 30 (FIG. 7) bends the packet portion being above it upward nearly the very butt line of the first steps. As a result of upward and downward bending, the needles positioned close to the butts of the first steps get trueing.

The rollers 4 mounted on the levers 26 and 31 (FIGS. 8 and 9) bend their packet portions, downward and upward respectively, close to thebutt of the second steps of the table and the clamp, the needle portions trued earlier on the butts of the first steps now being pressed against the table. The rollers 4 mounted on the levers 27 and 28 (FIGS. 10 and 12) should bend downward and the rollers 4 mounted on the levers 32 and 33 (FIGS. 11 and 13) should bend upward their respective portions of the needle packed close to the butts of successive steps, the earlier bent needle portions being pressed against the table in each particular case.

The rollers 4 mounted on the levers 29 and 34 (FIGS. 14 and 15) should bend, downward and upward respectively, their needles portions beyond the heel, the needles being pressed against the table by all of their portion from heel to tail, as this portion has been trued already. All the rollers 4 mounted on the levers 25-34 carry out the stepped successive bending throughout the needles length.

Since the fed portion per one operating cycle of the device is smaller than the width of each roller, each needle is necessarily exposed to upward and downward bending at the butt of each pair of the table steps and the clamp. Moreover, in case isolated needles undergo the action of one and the same roller twice, i.e., they are exposed to bending upward and downward in one and the same point (at the butt of one and the same pair of steps), this will not affect the trueing quality adversely.

The trueing operation being over, i.e., when the upper levelling rollers 4 and the clamp 3 have been elevated by the levers 25-29 and the lever 14, respectively, and when the lower rollers have gone downward thus releasing the packet of needles, the mechanism 5 moves the packet 2 along the table 1. The lever 52 en closing the axle 51 with the dog 50 secured on the latter gets onto the portion of the cam 53 having a smaller radius and makes a turn together with the dog 50 in relation to the axle of the ratchet 49. The dog 50 remaining engaged with the teeth of the ratchet 49 turns it on the axle counterclockwise to a certain angle corresponding to a value of the difference between the radii of the cam 53.

The thread 45 with the load 44, which is thrown over the roller 48 linked with the ratchet 49, gets lowered and. as a result, the plate 43 moves the needles packet 2 to the right along the table 1 precisely to a required distance determined by the value of the difference of the radii of the cam 53, length of the lever 52 and diameter of the roller 48.

Once the feeding of the needles packet 2 to the right along the table 1 is over, the clamp 3 presses the packet to the table and the trueing operation resumes. At the time when the spontaneous feed of the needles packet under the action of the load 44 is impossible, the cam 54, by pressing on the lever 52, turns it together with the dog 50, disengaging it from the teeth of the ratchet 49. Then the cam 53, pressing on the lever 52, returns this lever together with the dog into the initial position. A decrease in the radius of the cam 54 enables the dog to make a turn, under the spring action, together with its axle, and again come into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 49; after which the mechanism 5 is ready for a successive feed of the needles packet to the right along the table after the completion of the trueing operation and the withdrawal of the levelling rollers 4 and the clamp 3 into the initial position.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for trueing piece articles of a variable section, said device comprising: a table for a packet of 5 articles to be laid thereon; a lever being disposed above said table; a clamp being positioned on said lever to hold said packet of articles on said table during trueing; a cam interacting with said lever to lift or lower the latter together with said clamp; a plurality of levelling rollers forming two parallel rows, with a portion of the packet of articles, free from being clamped, being arranged in a gap between said rollers; one of said rows of levelling rollers defining upper ones and being arranged on top of the packet of articles, and the other one of said rows of levelling rollers defining lower ones and being accommodated under the packet of articles; additional levers bearing said upper levelling rollers; an

intermediate shaft bearing said levers of said upper lev elling rollers; a drive lever secured on said intermediate shaft; a cam interacting with said drive lever for effecting the rotation of said levers of said upper rollers; additional levers bearing said lower levelling rollers; a second intermediateshaft bearing said levers of said lower rollers; a second drive lever secured on said second intermediate shaft; and a second cam interacting with said second drive lever to effect the rotation of said levers of said lower rollers; said table and clamp having lateral sides which are made with stepped through cuts; the steps of said cuts being disposed opposite to each other so as to form a stepped line of a successive bend of the packet of articles when the packet passes in between the rows of the levelling rollers; and upper and lower rollers being accommodated 

1. A device for trueing piece articles of a variable section, said device comprising: a table for a packet of articles to be laid thereon; a lever being disposed above said table; a clamp being positioned on said lever to hold said packet of articles on said table during trueing; a cam interacting with said lever to lift or lower the latter together with said clamp; a plurality of levelling rollers forming two parallel rows, with a portion of the packet of articles, free from being clamped, being arranged in a gap between said rollers; one of said rows of levelling rollers defining upper ones and being arranged on top of the packet of articles, and the other one of said rows of levelling rollers defining lower ones and being accommodated under the packet of articles; additional levers bearing said upper levelling rollers; an intermediate shaft bearing said levers of said upper levelling rollers; a drive lever secured on said intermediate shaft; a cam interacting with said drive lever for effecting the rotation of said levers of said upper rollers; additional levers bearing said lower levelling rollers; a second intermediate shaft bearing said levers of said lower rollers; a second drive lever secured on said second intermediate shaft; and a second cam interacting with said second drive lever to effect the rotation of said levers of said lower rollers; said table and clamp having lateral sides which are made with stepped through cuts; the steps of said cuts being disposed opposite to each other so as to form a stepped line of a successive bend of thE packet of articles when the packet passes in between the rows of the levelling rollers; and upper and lower rollers being accommodated in said cuts. 